Sister Act

        Full Disclosure: Sister Act starring Whoopi Goldberg is one of my all time favorite movies. It's one of those movies that makes me laugh every time I watch it, and fills me with great joy. I have been waiting for Delores Van Cartier to find her way to the stage since I first saw the movie in theaters in 1992. Needless to say, my expectations were high going in.

        There are a few things that any Sister Act fan should know before seeing the musical. It's the same basic plot Singer loves married man, singer witness lover murdering somebody, singer hides with sisters and makes inner discoveries about herself. The details of all that are very different however.

      Delores Van Cartier is a young aspiring singer in the Philadelphia area (versus an older, nearly past her prime lounge singer). The score is original, so don't expect to hear "My God" or any of the other songs from the film. Alan Menken and Glen Slater have actually written a wonderful new score with catchy tunes that feel familiar minutes after hearing them.

       Book writers Cherri Steinkellner and Bill Steinkellner with additional book material by Douglas Carter Beane have written a pretty good script to go along with the wonderful score. At times, the humor feels a little too much like an early 90's sitcom than the book to a Broadway show, and that can be a bit laborious at times, but for the most part it's a lot of fun.

      I did not see the original Broadway Cast of Sister Act, Raven Symone as Delores is hit or miss. She hits the vocals pretty much right on, though at times her voice is a bit too thin for the role. The acting is where she misses. While Raven is an excellent comedienne and has a certain star quality on screen that makes her shine, that light doesn't exactly fill the Broadway Theater. In the more comedic moments and during the songs she is at her best, it's the scenes that are more character driven or story driven that she struggles.

     Carolee Carmello is doing her best as The Mother Superior. The role is admittedly underwritten,  but Ms. Carmello, the consummate professional, makes it seem like Shakespeare. The rest of the cast is delightful, Sarah Bolt as Sister Mary Patrick, Marla Mindelle as Sister Mary Robert, and Audree Neenan as Sister Mary Lazarus recall the actresses who played their roles in the films without being carbon copies of them.

     Jerry Zaks has put his signature slick sheen on this production, and everything flows seamlessly from one thing to the next. Anthony Van Laasts choreography is perfect for the production. Set design by Klara Zieglerova is functional, and at times opulent, and as always Natasha Katz lighting is superb. Lez Brotherstons costume designs do the job, but lets face it, they're pretty much 70's clothes and nun habits.

    It's easy to enjoy this version of Sister Act those like me who enjoyed the film just have to put that out of our minds and accept this new version of the story. Those who have not ever seen the film, or perhaps aren't as familiar with have rollicking good time.

      Sister Act plays at The Broadway Theater until Sunday August 26th. There are rush tickets available at the box office on the day of performance, but you should line up at least 1 hour before the box office opens if you hope to get one of these seats. The show is also usually available on TKTS.

A Streetcar Named Desire

         "Stella" most people are familiar with the film clip of a young Marlon Brando screaming this name in a white tank top. There are probably very few who actually know what this snippet is from. More familiar is the line "I have always relied on the kindness of strangers". Both of these famous quotes are being recited 8 times a week at The Broadhurst theater in an excellent multi racial revival of Tennessee William's A Streetcar Named Desire.

        Fewer people still probably realize that there actually was a streetcar named Desire in New Orleans which ran from 1920-1948. It ran down Bourbon street, through the Quarter, to Desire st. in the bywater district of New Orleans and back up canal. The tragic anti heroine of the piece, Blanche  Du Bois arrives saying "They told me to take a streetcar named Desire, transfer to one called Cemeteries and ride six blocks and get off at Elsyian Fields!".

        I wont bother summarizing the play, as many of you have probably either read it or seen it, and if you haven't, you definitely should. The current revival, as previously stated, uses a multi racial cast which most of the time doesn't matter, but sometimes does. For example, Stanley Kowalski is described as a working class man of polish decent. There were no black people in Poland at the time this play takes place, so they never mention his family name.

        Also, the entire premise of the play, if truly thought about, is historically implausible with people of color in the lead roles. That being said, if you put that thought of your mind, it's a truly excellent production of an American Classic.

   In the role of Blanche Nicole Ari Parker is the perfect blend of regal southern belle and fragile woman on the edge. She brings a humor to the role of Blanche that isn't always present, but at the same time you feel that at any moment she may break. Blair Underwood brings his raw masculinity to Stanley, and it is obvious why Stella is so attracted to him. He is magnetic, and frighting at the same time. Daphne Rubin Vega as Stella does not disappoint.

    The entire play is not only beautiful to listen to, it's beautiful to watch. Thanks to fantastic direction from Emily Mann. The set design by Eugene Lee and costume design by Paul Tazewell complement each other brilliantly. Terrance Blanchard's score is almost an additional character in the piece. It is part of what makes this revival so vibrant. The music is the driving force behind the action.

   This revival plays until Sunday July 22nd at The Broadhurst Theater. There are student tickets, and the show is frequently on the TKTS board. There are also discounts available at Broadwaybox.com

Clybourne Park

    Bruce Norris owes a great debt of gratitude to Lorraine Hansbury. His Pulitzer Prize (and now Tony award winning) play, Clybourne Park is written in response to Ms. Hansburys American classic A Raisin in the Sun. For those who are unfamiliar with the source material, A Raisin in the Sun  dramatizes the plight of the Youngers, a black family in a Chicago suburb fighting for a better life. Part of this better life means moving into a white neighborhood. In Bruce Norris's play, Clybourne Park we are shown this house, and the other side of the fight.

    The play is described by producers as such: Clybourne Park explodes in two outrageous acts set 50 years apart. Act One takes place in 1959, as nervous community leaders anxiously try to stop the sale of a home to a black family. Act Two is set in the same house in the present day, as the now predominantly African-American neighborhood battles to hold its ground in the face of gentrification.

    This is the basic premise of the play, but I assure you it's themes and meaning are truly deeper than that. Norris is making us laugh and gasp, but he's also slapping us in the face and punching us in the gut. This is truly a piece that ignites discussion as well as makes you think about your own view points.

     Pam MacKinnons direction is slick and precise. There is nary a moment of dead space in the fast paced comedic drama. Daniel Ostling has created a two for one set design. The first act is a comfortable upper middle class 50's household, while the second act is a modern day fixer upper. With her costume design Ilona Somogyi has perfectly evoked both the personalities of each character, their social status and standing, and the time period that they represent. Allen Lee Hughes lighting is functional, and at the end of the second act, somewhat magical.

    The company of actors assembled on the stage is truly wonderful. Each actor is pulling double duty as they portray completely different characters in each act. Clybourne Park has recently won the Tony Award for best play. While it wasn't my first (or second) choice to win this distinguished award, I can certainly see it's merits, and say that it is not undeserving of such praise.

   Clybourne Park is now playing at The Walter Kerr Theater on Broadway through September 2. It is frequently on the board at TKTS and also offers student tickets (2 per valid ID) when the box office opens. If you enjoy a good dramatic comedy this is the play for you.